According to BioBioChile, the president of the National Agriculture Society (SNA), Antonio Walker, warned that United States tariffs on Chilean products will cost the sector US$800 million over the next four years. He made the remarks during his speech at the National Agriculture Meeting (Enagro) 2026.
A tariff is a tax a country charges on products arriving from abroad. In practice, it makes Chilean fruit or meat more expensive on US shelves, making it less competitive against other suppliers.
"We are concerned about the tariff situation with the United States, which affects our poultry meat, citrus, grapes and other products," Walker said. The products he named are among those Chile sells to that market.
The industry leader said Chile has honored the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States. That agreement allowed many products to enter without paying taxes. He also stressed that domestic producers meet high labor, environmental, health and traceability standards, meaning the tracking of each product's origin.
Still, he acknowledged that reversing course will be difficult. "We know we are unlikely to regain zero tariffs," he said. He welcomed the government's efforts and the ongoing negotiations, which address the situation product by product. The source does not specify what stage those talks have reached or which sectors have been discussed.
Against this backdrop, Walker called for diversifying export destinations to reduce dependence on traditional markets. He mentioned India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and inland China, markets that provide access to hundreds of millions of consumers. "We must continue diversifying our destinations," he said.
The tariff blow comes at an uneven time for agriculture. According to Walker, nuts, meat and dairy are performing well. By contrast, wine, traditional crops, sugar beet, forestry and some fruits continue to face persistent difficulties.
He also cited international uncertainty and rising costs for energy, fertilizers, agrochemicals and logistics. For a farmer, that means producing each box of fruit costs more while selling it in the United States becomes more expensive.
The SNA's figure amounts to an average of US$200 million a year over the period projected by the industry association, while the government continues negotiating sector by sector with Washington.
